College: Go to School, Get and Education, and Get a Good Job

Students

Does anyone else see a problem here? What ever happened to encouraging people to innovate, try new things, and create jobs? The mantra for the educational system revolves around finding people good jobs- what about those people creating jobs for themselves?

Perhaps I’m one of the last of a dying breed (though the general response from the CareerRamblings community shows otherwise), but I believe that people need to ditch the dependent attitudes and learn how to become self sufficient. While there’s nothing wrong with being an employee, and success isn’t always dependent on your ability to start and run a successful business, many people exit post-secondary with an attitude of dependence- you know what I’m talking about.

A prime example of this is a friend of mine: he just graduated (with honors) with a degree in English, and now he’s quite angry that he’s having difficulties getting the job that he wants. He wants to be a writer for a rather popular magazine, you see, but they don’t appear to have any interest in hiring him. Finally, after listening to him whine and complain for what seemed like months I finally asked him why he didn’t try launching his own freelance writing firm.

Do you want know his response? “Because it’s much easier for me to find a job than to start a company.” You know, that may be true, it probably is easier to find a job rather than create one. In a lot of ways I agree, but I fundamentally disagree entirely with what he said. From my perspective, it would make more sense to launch my own business and create the job that I wanted.

I know that there are many different perspectives on this subject, and in a way all of them are correct, but I feel that people shouldn’t be so dependent on others. Moreover, those people shouldn’t get angry when the jobs simply aren’t there. Call me crazy, but I think a bit of self-direction and elbow grease is much more satisfying.

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9 thoughts on “College: Go to School, Get and Education, and Get a Good Job

  1. Talk about right up my alley. I graduated from university with a degree in Psychology and English Lit. I too wanted to write for a prominent newspaper or magazine but had no success in getting that kind of job. I ended up with an unsatisfying position at a non-profit, but I wasn’t all that interested in their material to begin with. After 5 months there, I quit and went on to start my own freelance writing business (michaelkwan.com) and I haven’t looked back since.
    I love being my own boss and I love “creating my own job”, as you say. In the end, I feel that it was actually easier for me to launch my business than to try and land a junior position at a magazine.

  2. One thing I forgot to mention is that most students fail to get relevant work experience while they’re in school. This is why co-op programs and work exchange programs are so important.

  3. I found it easier to launch an internet business than I did to find a job related to what I took in college. Maybe that’s just me (guess not judging by the responses by Bubs and Michael Kwan).
    Home businesses FTW!!

  4. it’s good to get a job.. well for getting an experience in the field and learn from the work. then when you’re ready, be self sufficient and create jobs. I myself doesnt plan to work for someone when I graduate from college.

    1. One thing that I’ve learned is that it takes a good plan and sufficient capital to launch your own business. You may find the experience that you gain by working for someone to be well worth it in terms of what it can help do for your long term success.

  5. Getting a job in your field will enable you to get solid real-world experience and build your knowledge in the industry/profession. You can then use this knowledge and experience (and savings from your job) to launch your own business whether its online or offline.

  6. Well, sometimes the real-time job is a good background. You back is always covered by every week salary just in case you’ll not succeed in online business.

  7. i think experience comes into play for your friend’s case. maybe they need someone with more ‘years’ in him
    yeah but i do et what you’re trying to say. go out there, build your own fortunes when you can’t get the job you want

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